Typically, when a limb, branch or trunk of a tree or bush is cut or cracked, the tree or bush is injured. The injured tree or bush immediately begins a process of damage containment and repair of the injury. This process includes a collapse of the damaged cells at the cut surface in an effort to reduce “bleeding.” Bleeding results in a loss of plant fluids as drying of the exposed surface commences.
Drying is not confined to the surface layer of cells at the cut. Often, cells located as deep as half an inch within the plant can experience fluid loss and drying. The resultant drying can permanently damage or kill the plant. A reduction in such drying is generally believed to be beneficial to the healing process by allowing the plant to maintain higher moisture levels at the wound site and prevent such cells from dying. Such cells can then continue to grow and form callus tissue over the surface of the wound. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a means to prevent or stop drying at the site of the wound.
Various compounds and mixtures have been used on tree and bush wounds to prevent drying and promote healing. Most of these are based on paint, shellac or asphalt-derived compounds. These compounds have generally been found to actually retard the healing process.
Thus, there is an unmet need for a composition and method which is easy to apply to a wound site of a tree or bush (e.g., a tree bandage) and is effective for both reducing drying and die-back at a wound site.